MEET THE HEAD FISH AND CRAFTERATEUR: ERIN
​Hi, I’m Erin Garcia Manalac. I’m the maker behind Feed the Fish co, a celebration goods company that specializes in hand-cut awesomeness and crafty workshops. I also write about all my creative adventures on my craftstyle blog Crafterateur. I’ve been a California girl all my life – I grew up in Duarte, went to school in Berkeley and San Diego, and now reside in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’m an Epidemiologist by training, but I live and breathe handmade! I love creating with my hands, mixing color, learning new art forms, and meeting others who love to do the same. Let's get crafty!

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WHY 'FEED THE FISH' CO?

The name is really an homage to my childhood. I started making handmade cards when I was a wee one. Around age five, each of my cards received my seal of approval: a sticker from my sticker collection, because what five year old didn't have a sticker collection? I placed said sticker on the back of each card - a 'brand' just like the real card companies. My favorite sticker of all time was one that reminded you to feed the fish; it was from a Girl Scouts chore themed sticker pack. I started drawing a fish bowl on the back of my cards (circa 1989) and continued to hand draw my logo until I got a stamp made in 2006. Feed the Fish co became an official craft company and part of local craft shows and gift shops on October 29, 2011. Since then, I've transitioned to work more with felt, and my logo got a little upgrade, too. The current pennant logo is based off of a handcut pennant. ​